New Blog – Simply Multicultural

This is just to inform everyone that we have moved blogs to our more updated and very inromative blog called Simply Multicultural

Please head on over and follow us over there, this site will be closed in the coming month or so.

Many thanks JJ, Director Global Kids Oz

Samoan Language Week

Samoan Language Week
Instituted by the Human Rights Commission four years ago, the Samoan Language Week is a unique initiative that was first promoted by Radio Niu FM as part of a series of Pacific language weeks leading up to Māori Language Week. It is believed that in Australia, there are more than 28,500 Samoan language speakers. This year the Language Week will run from Sunday, 29 May, to Saturday, 4 June, to overlap with the Samoan Independence Day that falls on 1 June.
The Theme
The theme for 2011 has been announced as Samoa Ola – Samoa Active. This year the focus will be on language, sport and healthy living, and linking Manu Samoa’s visit to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup.
Why Language Week is Important
Multiple languages are now the norm in many countries. A potpourri of cultures exists resulting in a wide range of languages being spoken. However, in countries where indigenous groups continue living, the language is at risk of losing out to globalization and development.
Of the 6000 and more languages in the world, one is said to disappear every fortnight. In lingusitics, language death (also termed as language extinction or linguistic extinction) is a process by which the level of linguistic competence that speakers possess of a given language decrease. This can eventually result in no native or fluent idioms and dialects remaining.
A few years ago, on the remote Timor Sea coast of north Australia only three speakers of Mati Ke remained. In a few more years, it is probable that there will be no native speakers of Mati Ke. The situation is not only sad but also desperate. The end of a language signals the end of a way of living, a culture and the traditions that make up that culture. In the context of the Samoan Lanaguage Week, it is all the more important that more such initiatives are started to preserve a precious wealth of words.
Saving A Language
Saving a language only needs a dedicated community and passionate individuals. In classrooms, teachers can set aside an hour a day to teach Samoan and/or other indigenous languages. At home and at learning centers, parents and care providers can use a variety of aids such as flashcards, storybooks and CDs to help them. Some are listed below:

1. Talia Book: Perfect for ages 3+, this heart warming story follows the experience of a girl named Talia, who is looking forward to going to Samoa. But when she arrives she doesn’t understand what anyone is saying and feels overwhelmed and confused.
2. Little Kiddy Samoan Book: A must-have book, Little Kiddy is a beautiful bi-lingual book that’s great for beginner kids as well as adults. The sections covered are Greetings, Colours & Numbers, Family, Days of the week etc.
3. The Samoan Picture Dictionary: An excellent resource for people beginning to speak or write Samoan, the dictionary contains over 1000 commonly used words, and words needing further explanation are given in English and Samoan sentences to aid comprehension.
4. Sina in the Moon, A Samoan Legend: Introduce young and older readers to Samoan legends to help them understand the culture better. Sina in the Moon, A Samoan Legend, is a bi-lingual book that introduces readers to a legend of how we see faces in the moon.
5. Samoan Alphabet: This book is part of the Island Alphabet Books series that features languages and children’s artwork from the U.S. -affiliated Pacific. The best thing about the book is the many examples that come with each letter and a word list with English translations.

We are never too old to learn something new or too young to understand the wonders of an ancient language. Learn a new language this Language Week. Here are some Samoan phrases to get you started.
Tulov lava – Excuse me
Alu ese – go away
Fa’afetai – Thankyou
Manuia lava – Fine thanks
Manuia le aso – Have a good day
Oute alofa ia oe – I love you
Manuia le po – Good night
Se toe fai mai lava – I beg your pardon
O lou igoa – My name is ……

Related posts; Matariki
Global Kids Oz Articles
Diversity & Multiculturalism in the classroom

Matariki – The Maori New Year

Matariki – The Maori New Year
For the Māori in New Zealand, Matariki is a time of new beginnings. At the tail end of May each year, a cluster of tiny stars, known as Pleiades to astronomers, rises on the northeast horizon. The Māori call this constellation Matariki, and for them this is a signal of an ending and a beginning.
The meaning of Matariki
The word Matariki is commonly translated into English as “mata riki’ or ‘tiny eyes’ and “mata ariki” or ‘eyes of God’. For the Māori, Matariki signals the start of a new life cycle and hence is celebrated as a traditional new year. The new moon that appears after the Matariki marks the beginning of the celebrations.
Pacific names for the Matariki
• Matariki – Māori, Mangaian (Cook Islands)
• Mangarevan (Gambier Is – French Polynesia)
• Matali’I – Samoan
• Makali’I – Hawaiian
• Mataliki – Tongan
• Mataiki – Marquesan

The Māori and Matariki
New Zealand’s indigenous people prepared for the year ahead and celebrated the future during Matariki. Upon sighting the constellation, the Māori would begin preparing sufficient preserved food stocks to last them through to the next harvest.
They also believed that the visibility of the stars determined the growth of crops for the coming year. According to this belief, if the stars shone very brightly, the season would be warmer and therefore the crops would be plenty. Family gathering and feasting marks the Māori celebration of Matariki.
Once the celebrations were over, they would turn their attention to other tasks that bound the community closer together such as learning and knowledge sharing.

Matariki traditions

During Matariki, the Māori shared their plenty with others. They showered guests and visitors with gifts and prepared huge banquets known as hākari. Records and stories indicate that the people waited up several nights to see the stars as they rose. Once the constellation was sighted, they would build a small hāngī – earth oven to cook food with steam and heat from heated stones.

Then, as part of their customs, they would weep and tell Matariki the names of those who had died since the stars last set. The people then uncovered the oven so that the aroma of the food could rise to the heavens and strengthen the stars. Another custom known as mihi maumahara is also observed. The people pay tribute to the ancestors who have passed into heaven through the Matariki to join the other ancestors who have become stars in the sky—Kua wheturangitia ratou ki tua ki te Aara I Tiatia.

Present day celebrations
The Matariki tradition is very much alive and observed in modern day Aotearoa (New Zealand). Lively festivals, cultural performances and concerts and other entertainment mark Matariki celebrations across the country. Toi Māori (Māori Art) is also showcased along with Māori song and dance. Modern Māori celebrate this day with education, remembrance, and the planting of new trees. Art exhibitions, art and craft workshops, the sharing of myths and legends, Astronomy workshops, hangi and feasts, dawn ceremonies, family days, Whakapapa (Genealogy) workshops and cooking demonstrations are some ways to celebrate Matariki.
Matariki in the classroom
Matariki is a great time to introduce children to the Māori people. Here are some tips on how to do it:
1. Discuss the concept of New Year across various cultures and countries: New Year is celebrated across the world at different times and for different reasons. Discussing this topic in class is a fun way to get children to understand the diversity in the world.
2. Organize a trip to the local planetarium: Get your students together and take them to the planetarium to star gaze. Explain the traditions of Matakiri while getting them to drawn and label the constellation in their notebooks.
3. Choose a craft theme: During craft period, focus on the arts and crafts of the Māori .
4. Plan a storytelling session: Invite elders from the Māori and plan a storytelling session. Later, ask students to discuss what they understood from the stories.
5. Plant a tree: Plant a tree in the neighborhood or in the schoolyard.
6. Draw parallels: The Japanese call the Pleiades (Seven Sisters) ‘Subaru’. There is a distinctive myth behind this. Read out these myths in calls and discuss how the same constellation has different meaning across cultures.
7. Visually represent Matariki: Draw, or paint the constellation. Do a slide show in class or maybe create a small skit around it.
8. For a large range of resources that supports multicultural education on New Zealand and around the world feel free to go to our Global Kids Oz website

Remember, Tēnā ngā kanohi kua tikona e Matariki – Matariki will keep you awake.
Article written by Annie Besant on behalf of Global Kids Oz

Music & Lyrics, the multicultural way

You don’t see the world in black & white. You see it in the many vivid colors of browns, beige, olives and yellows – a multicultural world. And you’re a born teacher too, always looking for opportunities to teach kids and adults about the importance of a multicultural society. Well, then, here is a great way to celebrate different cultures in any environment – Multicultural Music!

Why Music?
There is a staggering amount of human diversity on our planet. We might not always understand each others traditions, customs and beliefs but the one thing that has the ability to transcend everything is music. It is a very deep-rooted and valid cultural expression. Music, when played in a classroom it creates a fun and upbeat atmosphere, sustains student attention, improves concentration and increases interaction while building a classroom community. When played in the car, it can positively uplift you, reduce stress and relieve frustration.

How Music Benefits the Classroom
Learning through music is not a strict top-down activity; it’s multi-layered learning. Music is a natural way of teaching multiculturalism because it allows the listener to experience and feel the culture. Also, the learner is immersed in a safe environment while the learning is happening. Even if verbal exchange (between teacher and student) is minimal, it leads students into discovering and reflecting on the new experience. Playing music from a particular culture helps students imagine that they are part of that community and be a part of an aural tradition.

Incorporating Music in a Classroom Environment
Here are some tips on how to use Multicultural music in the classroom:
1. Multicultural music can be used to teach educational content. For example: When teaching rhymes to lower primary kids, consider using Karadi Tales Rhyming Book & CD Series to teach Indian rhymes. This will introduce the child to meter, rhythm pattern and context that would normally be out of their reach.

2. Use music to introduce a new language. If you have plans to introduce your classroom to a new language, begin by showcasing music that’s familiar, fun and easy-to-learn. This way, the chances of a child being open to a foreign language are higher. Recommended resource: German – Teach Me German Christmas Songs, Frohliche Weinhnachten Teach Me traditional Songs & Traditions, Worldwide – Latin Playground Activity Kit – Book & CD

3. Use multicultural music to enhance educational content. Music helps students get a deeper feel for and appreciate the educational content you are imparting. In your geography/ history classroom use Celebrate the Human Race CD and Book Kit to visit The Nile, Rio, The Grand Canyon, Iqazu Falls, Mount Everest, Yosemite Valley and many other exciting places around the world in song. If environmental concerns are what you’re highlighting, get a copy of Everything’s Gone Green, Environmental CD by the Fabulous Lemon Drops.

4. Create an atmosphere that’s conducive to teaching. Most students might fidget in class or complain of boredom when faced with reams and reams of text. Switch text with music for a more engaged learning process. For example: When teaching older students about the history of Aboriginal music, use Aria Award Winner – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu’s album Gurrumul. The songs are largely sung in indigenous languages and you can challenge your students to identify them. If you are trying to teach your class the history of Africa, we recommend resources such as Songs and stories from Uganda Book and CD, African Playground Putumayo CD etc.

Music as a Important Multicultural Resource in Other Environments
Maybe it’s not a child but an adult who needs a multicultural exposure. Then, music is your best friend because you can take it out of the classroom to anywhere you like – car, home, work place, bus etc. Here are some tips on how to use multicultural music in other environments:
1. In the home. Music can be extremely stimulating as well as completely relaxing. To brighten up a kid’s play date, put on Sesame Street Playground CD in 12 different languages. If you’re winding up for the day, consider Celtic Dreamland Sleeptime CD which focuses on the softer side of Celtic music, harvested from the rich musical traditions of Ireland, Scotland, eastern Canada and beyond. The CD has songs that are perfect for the slumbering child, meditating mom and dad, or the weary worker desperate for a little quiet relaxation.

2. On a drive. Fill long trips with laughter and make it subtly educational by picking the latest release in the award-winning Playground CD series from Putumayo Kids. The new album presents a multilingual collection of animal-themed songs from around the world. Other recommendations are: Putumayo Hawaiian Playground CD with Hawaiian ukuleles, slide guitars, amusing lyrics and enchanting voices that will charm children and adults alike, Worldwide – Jazz Playground Putumayo CD and Worldwide – Rock & Roll Putumayo CD.

3. At the work place. Introduce your co-workers to sounds from around world with sources like Lietuviskos Polkos – Lithuanian Music, “Malk” Saltwater Band CD with Geoffrey Gurrumbul, Arabic Groove Putumayo CD etc.

4. In the day care center. Putumayo Kids’ Acoustic Dreamland and Multicultural Lullabies around the World CD are wonderful to soothe the tiny tots.

No matter what language we speak or where we are from, music binds us all. Music is also a great teacher of all things new and wonderful, so, pick up a multicultural CD to create a harmonious multicultural world.

Diversity & Education in a multicultural classroom

Diversity and Education in a Multicultural Classroom
Legendary writer Maya Angelou once said that “in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.” This is true even in a multicultural classroom. Every year teachers are burdened with creating the right lesson plans for a class of 30-40 students each with their own learning abilities, thought patterns and interests. Throw into this mix students from different cultures – you have strengths as well as challenges to face that go beyond just drawing up lesson plans.

Identifying Multicultural Diversity
For any child the classroom is a second home where they spend half their time learning, communicating, playing, building relationships, forming an identity and forging a unique place for themselves. This makes it even more important for a teacher to understand the dynamics of diversity such as ethnicity, race, language, culture, education, religion, place of birth, Diaspora experiences, war memories, minority conflicts, socio-economic standards etc in the classroom.

Creating a Multicultural Classroom
The success of a multicultural classroom can be studied by the advancement of the educational goals of all the students, and the fostering of a supportive and respectful teaching environment. Some ways to achieve this:

1.Awareness of Learning Styles
Every culture has its own way of imparting knowledge which may be remarkably different from the dominant culture into which a child is thrust. Take for example East Asia: students from China, Japan and Korea are used to a teacher-centric, book oriented, rote memory learning style. The students themselves are introverted and are uncomfortable with public touch and intense displays of opinions or emotions.
Students from countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will look to the teacher for constant guidance, and accept everything the teacher says as absolute truth. On the other hand, students from progressive western cultures are more comfortable with asking questions, challenging information, and communicating their displeasure with the teacher or the lesson. A teachers openness to and acceptance of the varied learning styles can make teaching in the classroom a more tolerant, inclusive and cohesive experience.

2. Communication Resource
As teachers, we want our children to learn in an environment where they can accomplish everything that is possible and feel loved and included while doing so. Unfortunately, in the world, discrimination and racial bias is a scarring reality. But a teacher can become a resource on a wide range of issues connected to diversity and multiculturalism for children and parents.

3. Diversity Awareness Activities
Encourage diversity rich activities in the classroom. For example: Create your own classroom library and encourage each child to contribute one book from their culture written by an author from their country. Then, take turns reading the books and have an open discussion about the content.
Plan a cultural exchange unit where students are asked to bring in something that reflects their heritage. This could be a piece of handicraft, food, traditional clothing, a song or speech recording etc. Open up a discussion, but sometimes such exchanges can become charged so administer strict rules about acceptable behavior before hand.
Hold these awareness activities on a regular basis, especially at the start of a school year, so that what is considered different becomes something familiar and exciting. Look for creative lesson plans and activities that will enrich the student’s learning experience.
4. Anti-Bias Education
Multicultural assimilation can begin at a very early age, they are extremely curious and often come up with their own surprisingly creative explanations to understand the differences around them. As a teacher you have an unique role in promoting all children’s chance to thrive and succeed in all areas of their life. When we make our classrooms an anti-bias classroom, we are helping children be proud and accepting of human differences. An anti-bias curriculum will also encourage them to assess their own identities and teach them to create, live and learn in an inclusive environment. So, if a 3-year-old in your class doesn’t want to sit next to a new arrival because they “talk funny” or “dress funny”, intervene immediately to send a positive message and counter the hurtful effects of those statements.

Understanding a multicultural classroom is the first step in effectively knitting together a multicultural blanket. Then, encourage appreciation of differences, avoid cultural stereotypes, acknowledge differences, and integrate new multicultural programs. We live in world brimming with myriad colors, let us make a rainbow out of it.

Books and other resources available for purchase for teachers and parents that reflect a variety of cultures which support Multicultural Learning are listed below. For the full range of over 1,200 Multicultural resources from over 145 different countries and cultures worldwide please visit <a href="http://www.globalkidsoz.com.au&quot;

New Zealand Maori – Koru mats
Australian Indigenous – Our World – Bardi Jaawi Life at Ardiyooloon
India – Indian Tales
Samoa – Little kiddy Samoa,
Tongan
Sweden – Tomten Book
The Middle East – A True Person or Middle Eastern Family Puppet set

Or to get a global perspective how about some of these wonderful resources that either cover a variety of languages or cultures all in one

Comfyland easy PC in 20 languages
Putumayo’s World Playground Activity Kit
My Granny Went to Market
or one of our range of Puzzles for kids to help teach them geography in a new and fun way
or this amazing new "Interactive World Map; that talks to you!!

Tradional Siapo South Pacific and Maori recycled cultural play mats

This gallery contains 6 photos.

Siapo is typically a fine tissue like cloth made from the bark of the mulberry tree and is a symbol of many cultures in the South Pacific. Siapo mats were once used on a day to day basis in the … Continue reading →

Reading multicultural books to your children is a wonderful way to experience others cultures and customs

Why do we read? Why do we encourage others to read? The key to answering these questions lies in the early man cave paintings. The crude images they scratched on rocks told a story; explained history and culture to the immediate community and the outsider. Human beings have always felt the need to create and share. This desire evolved into cave paintings, storytelling, and oral traditions. When the written word permeated our culture, this desire manifested itself in print. So, we read and inspire reading in others, especially our children.

Since 1967, on or around Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, 2 April, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) has been celebrated to inspire a love of reading and to call attention to children’s books. In the present scenario, where multiple cultures mingle and grow together, the ICBS is a great opportunity to introduce children to multicultural worlds.

Children’s multicultural picture books occupy the pride of place in childhood classrooms. Various genres such as fiction, poetry and non-fiction give children a glimpse of the vast world they will one day step into. These books are also a crucial way in which they gain information, are entertained and add to their perspectives of the environment around them. Multicultural books represent individuals and or ethnic groups and give a complete insight into the workings of a different community.

In preschool, introduction picture books that depict a variety of racial, ethnic and cultural groups are an ideal way of helping them develop an awareness of others, while affirming the identities of children from different backgrounds.

Children’s books serve several purposes. Books can stimulate readers through text and illustrations. They draw the reader into the situations, scenes and story and help them participate through identification. Girls in the Kapahaka, a book by Angie Belcher, is a great example of a book that draws children into the world of the Māori. Indian Tales by Barefoot Books is a visual as well as textual treat.

A study conducted by Jean Mendoza and Debbie Reese and published by Early Childhood Research and Practice explains that books also serve a psychosocial purpose. Stories give children characters and events with which they “can identify and through which they can consider their own actions, beliefs, and emotions.” Such stories encourage the child to see the world through another’s eyes and “further construct their own views of self and the world.” Fair Skin Black Fella, a story about Mary, a young Aboriginal girl who lives on a red and dusty cattle station and is shunned because of her fair skin, is a wonderful story to help kids observe and understand the psychological workings of an another culture. It also stimulates discussion about cultural identities.

Children’s literature should ideally reveal the truth about a culture and its experience, and avoid subversion as well as a glossing over of hard facts. Sabri’s Colours reveals a child’s yearning to draw. But as an underprivileged girl, Sabri can dream of drawing only with a rough chalk or her one and only pencil. Her dreams and yearnings intensify when she sees a plethora of colour pencils and paints at school. This book is a valuable tool to help children discuss what privileged and underprivileged means in various cultures. It can also be used to stimulate discussions about how “dreams and desires” differ amongst children from various ethnic households.

Books are also didactic in nature. In traditional literature, myths, sagas, classics, tales and legends serve to pass on ideas, morals and knowledge from generation to generation. We’re Sailing Down the Nile is a rhyming story text, followed by eleven pages full of educational information about ancient Egypt, gods and goddesses. It captures Egypt as seen through the many myths and stories surrounding it. Tales of Celtic Lands is another book that carries tales of the Emerald Isle.

Books are important catalysts employed in helping the child arrive at a knowledge base about people and world. So, it’s extremely crucial that the story a child is reading has high standards of accuracy and authenticity. Books also benefit language and literacy development. Zak the Yak, written in Seussical rhyme, and We are One, are books that are written to heighten cultural awareness and develop language development.

All the books mentioned in this article cross boundaries and can be used by children independently or along with a caregiver. Using multicultural books gives children the opportunity to see their own world reflected in different ways. So, this International Children’s Book Day, gift a child a multicultural book and stand back to see the world open up for them.

Harmony Day

Everyone Belongs!

Yes, everyone – man, woman and child – irrespective of skin color, cuisine, culture, music, language, traditional practices and beliefs belong to this world that we have built. Be it your Indian neighbor’s practice of applying a red mark on their forehead on special days or your Mexican friend’s tradition of observing the Day of the Dead, diversity pops up everywhere we turn. So this Harmony Day, celebrated on 21 March, we bring you tips and ideas on how to celebrate the diversity in your classroom, school, and neighborhood.

Harmony Day
This special day is a nod to the cultural diversity that abounds in Australia. It is celebrated all over the Land of Oz on 21 March each year. Harmony Day was first incorporated in 1999, and since then a wide variety of groups including sports organizations, community groups, local government, schools and businesses have staged more than 25, 000 Harmony Day events. The day also coincides with the United Nation’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Harmony Day is managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC). The purpose of this celebration is to give people the opportunity to celebrate the individuality of every Australian. This year, Everyone Belongs is the prominent message behind Harmony Day.
This day also encourages Australians to reflect on Australia’s historical roots, and give due recognition to the traditional owners of the country. The government is also making a strong effort to push the message of community participation, inclusiveness and respect. Towards this, DIAC often supports a wide range of community events and activities held to celebrate Harmony Day by providing free promotional products.

Preparations for Harmony Day
To prepare for Harmony Day, follow a few tips. The tips will not only help you gather required resources days ahead of the celebration, but also plan the participation of students and others.

1. Create a blog: A blog is a great way to start discussions, generate ideas and inform everyone about celebration plans. Blogs are free and easy to create. Starting a discussion to pick a theme will keep students engaged and anticipating.
2. Send out a newsletter: Use a newsletter to spread information about your efforts.
3. Plan a theme: A central idea is a great way to bring people together. As you prepare for Harmony Day, pick a theme that reflects something that is happening within your community or around the world.

Celebrating Harmony Day
These ideas will help you celebrate Harmony Day in a wholesome way that embraces cultural diversity in all its forms.
1. Highlight the color orange: Orange is used to mark this day so give out orange ribbons, encourage your students to wear orange colored clothing. During arts & crafts class use the color as the central theme. For eg: orange origami swans etc.
2. Dance and music performances: Get students to volunteer dance and music performances based on Australia’s diverse cultures.
3. Plant a tree or write an essay: Get your students together and plant a tree in your school yard or organize a harmony essay or painting competition for school children.
4. Fundraising: Consider arranging fund-raising drives to benefit your local community or global charities.
5. Sports events: Sports events are a fun way to foster unity in a classroom. Make up your own rules and give an old game a new twist.
6. Go volunteering: For Harmony Day volunteer at a local community center. Take pictures of your efforts and create a scrapbook to display in the classroom.
7. Host other schools: Hosting students from other schools is a great way to teach young and older children the values of building a community of goodwill.
8. Set up an Aboriginal Culture Experience: To help students better assimilate the indigenous culture invite a guest speaker. You can widen this to include a variety of cultures.
9. Organize a picnic or BBQ in your neighborhood: Meet new neighbor’s and hang out with them by setting up a community picnic or BBQ.
10. Tea at the workplace: Find out about the multicultural make-up of your workforce and plan a multicultural morning tea or lunch.

Harmony Day offers an unparalleled opportunity to teach young children about the value and importance of diversity. It helps them appreciate other cultures as well as the indigenous culture better as they grow older. We are celebrating Harmony Day and hope you are too!

St Patricks Day

St. Patrick’s Day

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! It’s St. Patrick’s Day and what we are trying to say is “St. Patrick’s Day blessing upon you!” A religious holiday celebrated internationally on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day is often associated with revelry, shamrock, Irish whiskey and Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. This day is a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Montserrat. We bring you a quick look into how this festival is celebrated.

Saint Patrick

Though little is known for sure about Patrick’s early life, it is a believed that he was born into a wealthy family in the 4th century. His family was associated with the Church through both his father and grandfather who were deacons. Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders at the age of sixteen and taken as a slave to Ireland. He lived there for six years before escaping to Britain. Patrick joined the church in Auxerre in Gaul and studied to be a priest. In later years, Patrick’s mastery of the Celtic tongue and familiarity with aboriginal Irish religions helped him considerably in his ministry. In 432, he went back to Ireland as a bishop and continued to Christianize the native Irish. He died in the 5th century on March 17, which is the day St. Patrick’s Day is commemorated.

Traditions and symbols

Around the world, the color green is associated with St. Patrick’s Day. However, did you know that originally the color for this day was blue? Over a period of time, green became the preferred choice and celebrators began use, wearing green ribbons, the Blarney stone, shamrocks and designs based on the shamrock as important symbols. The shamrock came to be important to the Irish because St. Patrick is said to have used this three-leaved clover plant to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity. But finding a four-leaved shamrock is considered lucky especially on this day. And no St.Patrick’s Day is complete without the mythical leprechaun. Catch one on this day and you just might find yourself a pot of gold!

The way the world celebrates

St. Patrick’s Day became the official public holiday of Ireland in 1903. But it wasn’t till the mid-1990s that the Irish government began a campaign to showcase this festival. Many towns, cities, and villages in Ireland hold parades and festivals. The biggest of these celebrations (outside of Dublin) takes place in Downpatrick where Saint Patrick is believed to have been buried. The festivals are a week long and marked by floats, concerts, sports events and pub hopping. In New Zealand green clothing is traditionally worn, and American cities like Chicago and Savannah dye their waterways green. In fact paraders participating in the New Orleans parades are known for throwing onions, carrots, cabbages, potatoes and other ingredients that make up the traditional Irish stew.

St. Patrick’s Day in the classroom

This festival is the easiest and most fun to celebrate even in very small classrooms. Here are a few ideas:

St. Patrick’s Day crafts: Introduce your class to this important aspect of Irish heritage and make fun craft items like a pot of gold, an Irish Celtic cross, leprechaun hat, and shamrocks.
Wear green and join the local parade, or get your own parade started from classroom to classroom!
Set up a movie for your class to watch. Some titles: The Luck of the Irish, Darby O’Gill and the Little People, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers: The Last Leprechaun. Or listen to some peacful Celtic Dreamland lullabies
These titles make good reads for young kids: Tales of Celtic Lands, Tales from Old Ireland, Jamie O’Rourke and the Big Potato by Tomie dePaola, Jeremy Bean’s St. Patrick’s Day by Alice Shertle, The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day by Natasha Wing, St. Patrick’s Day Countdown by Salina Yoon; for the slightly older audience: The St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Mystery by Marion M. Markham, The St. Patrick’s Day Shillelagh by Janett Nolan and Ben F. Stahl, St. Patrick’s Day: A Love Story by P. D. St Claire
On St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Irish!

Article written on behalf of Global Kids Oz by Annie Besant

Japan – Hinamatsuri Festival

Japan – Hinamatsuri Festival March 3rd – Say it with Dolls!

If you happen to be in Japan on March 3rd, take a moment to pray for the growth and happiness of the little girl in your life! Also called Momo no sekku (Peach Festival), because of the peach blossom season, Hinamatsuri (literally Girls’ Day) is celebrated all over in Japan, especially in households where there are young girls. The doll displays go up around mid-February, and families will take down the platforms immediately after the festival. It is their belief that leaving the dolls out past March 4 will result in a late marriage for the daughter of the house. Take a look at how the Japanese mark this interesting and unique festival.

Hinamatsuri

Traditionally, the Japanese believed that dolls possessed the power to contain evil spirits. They used to carry out a custom called hina-nagashi, in which straw hina dolls were sent down a river on a boat supposedly taking people’s troubles with them. Hinamatsuri’s origins can be traced back to this tradition. Families observe Hinamatsuri by setting up a display of ornamental dolls on platforms covered with a red carpet. The dolls represent the Emperor, Empress and attendants that made up a traditional court during the Heian period. This is because the custom of displaying dolls originated in the Heian period (794 to 1185).

All dolled up

The platform on which the dolls are placed is made up of either five or seven tiers. The Japanese word for platform is hina dan and the covering – a red carpet with rainbow stripes at the bottom – is called dankake. Some people will also place peach blossoms around the platform. The doll arrangement follows a certain pattern:

The top tier holds the imperial dolls; these are the Emperor and Empress placed in front of a gold folding screen.
The second tier is given over to three court ladies.
The third tier is five male musicians each holding a traditional Japanese instrument, except for the singer.
Two ministers sit on the fourth tier and are sometimes equipped with bow and arrows.
Three samurais sit on the fifth tier with a peach or cherry tree to the left, and a mandarin orange tree to the right.
The sixth and seventh platforms are filled with a variety of miniature items like carriages, palanquin etc.
Hinamatsuri Food

Families will offer rice crackers and other food to the dolls. Guests will be served shirozake, a sake made from fermented rice, bite-sized crackers flavored with sugar, and hishimochi, a diamond shaped rice cake. A salty soup made from clams still in their shell is popular because clams are thought to be the symbol of a united and peaceful couple.

Hinamatsuri in the classroom

Hinamatsuri is great for classrooms because it emphasizes everything that is positive about being a girl child. Kodomo-no-hi is a festival for boys, more recently called Children’s Day, and falls on May 5th. The novelty of Hinamatsuri will guarantee full participation from students and parents alike. Here are some ways to observe the day of the dolls:

Introduce the concept of Hinamatsuri to the class. Show them pictures, bring dolls to the class if possible, and encourage them to discuss why the festival is relevant in modern-day times. Use the book A Girls & Boys Day to celebrate the festival
In craft class, consider teaching how to make a Hinamatsuri doll or a Kokeshi Doll, listen to beautiful Asian music with Putumayo’s Asian Dreamland CD. Learn some Japanese words and phrases
Set up a doll display. Keep it simple with one tier or make it elaborate with five tiers. Don’t worry about having to display only Japanese dolls, instead consider getting dolls from the different cultures that co-exist in your class.
Hold a Hinamatsuri cooking class.
Ask Japanese parents if they put up doll displays and plan a visit to their homes.
This is the day to make a little girl feel very special. So, happy Hinamatsuri!

Article written by Annie Besant